Ulmer: Breaking Down the Sked...

When last you saw the Toronto Maple Leafs, they had pulled off a remarkable comeback to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5.

The Leafs missed the playoffs by a point. On Wed., Oct. 3, they will set about trying to fix that.

The NHL released schedules for its 30 teams Wednesday. The Leafs begin their campaign at home with a game against longtime rivals, the Ottawa Senators. The teams renew things in Ottawa the next night and the Leafs host the Canadiens on Saturday, Oct. 6 for an all-Canadian opening week.

Nine of the club’s 13 October games will be home contests. October will feature more home games than any month. The Leafs, for example, are at home only five times in November.

The league’s emphasis on conference play means the Maple Leafs will not see the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.

The Leafs embark on a seven-game road trip, the longest of the season, in December. From Dec. 14 to 27, they will play in Atlanta, Montreal, Carolina, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Long Island and Philadelphia before returning home to play the New York Rangers, Dec. 29.

The Leafs longest homestand comes in February. Between Valentine’s Day and February 23 they will host the Islanders, Bruins, Blue Jackets, Sabres and Thrashers.

Game number 82, as it was last season, will be against Montreal. The Leafs host Buffalo April 1 and Ottawa April 3 before the season finale, Sat. April 5 in Montreal.